Thread by @juliettekayyem

I know Wed. @TheAtlantic headline made some wary, but it describes the right way to think about the next phase, inc. #Omicron. Variants, outbreaks, mixed progress mark a road of adaptive recovery. US need not sustain indefinite emergency stance and panic. Read then respond. 1/

https://twitter.com/theatlantic/status/1463521860965089285

I am not a doctor. I’m a consumer of health intelligence and advise public and private entities that have to balance many demands. In this essay, I describe how in past disasters, response personnel were complimented by nontechnical experts in recovery phase. 2/

Former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus, then Secretary of Navy, led Gulf oil spill recovery. Then HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan led Superstorm Sandy recovery. They did not lead emergency responders or health personnel. They weighed competing needs after the crisis. 3/

Covid is a unique disaster because the threat still harms while the recovery begins. We will recover as we adapt around the virus. Mandates, vaccines, boosters, masking, ventilation all yes. But other decisions — how much risk mitigation is enough — aren’t scientific.
4/

It will take some getting used to, a recovery and a response simultaneously. We could use a nudge, and stop saying science can always guide us. But we lose much sustaining Covid panic as well. Vigilance yes. And adaptation. Until further notice… 5/5